MONROE — The company behind a wakeboard park at Lake Tye will skip this summer but the developer says it is targeting to open the park next Memorial Day weekend.
The cable park is from H3O Development. One of H3O’s managers, Brad Smith, says plans are back on track after financial hiccups scuttled plans to build the park this year.
The company said everything is in place for construction.
A new construction timeline and updated park plan were presented to the Monroe City Council last week.
“Things changed over time from the minute we first presented to you,” Smith said. “Our financial picture has changed over time. We had everything in place and then we ran into some hurdles.”
H3O now plans a groundbreaking in late fall.
The cables and anchor towers will be delivered from Germany by mid-winter and finishing the associated buildings is planned for late winter 2015. Smith said they will then plan a “soft opening” of the wakeboard cable park for spring 2015 and the grand opening of the cable park is planned for late May.
The project is a public-private partnership between the city and H3O. The city will profit from a 5 percent admission tax sales and a 2 percent slice of the gross profit.
Its primary users will be wakeboarders using the cable system for an automated tow in lieu of being behind a speedboat.
The cable park will take up 17 acres — or approximately 30 percent — of the 42-acre Lake Tye.
The plan is to build five towers and a beginner cable line supported by two towers in the southern portion of the lake.
There will also be a 2,500-square-foot building that will house a pro shop, ticket and retail sales, restrooms, lockers and an office.
H3O said it wants to focus on teaching people how to ride.
“We really will be targeting the novice riders,” Smith said. “We really want to generate that base ridership and teach people how to ride cables.”
H3O has not yet selected a construction company for the project, but Smith said they are in talks with a few.
Almost all of the permit steps are complete.
Construction would not be anticipated to affect Fryelands Boulevard traffic, Smith said.
Smith said the project shouldn’t affect current park activities too much. The company will work with the parks department, “but we can only control so much,” he said.
City Council members were enthusiastic for the project.
“Totally excited, I can’t wait,” Councilman Kurt Goering said.
Smith said Monroe’s public-private partnership is similar to parks located in Texas and Florida and said they were successes.